


Sidearms And Smiles

by wackyjacqs



Series: Bizarre Holidays [6]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Episode: s01e18 Solitudes, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 11:03:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17323814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: It didn’t take long before his thoughts – dangerously – started to wander at how nice it felt to hold Sam in his arms, but he had obviously been thinking just a little too much when he heard her start to giggle.





	Sidearms And Smiles

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been awake since 4am so I apologize for any mistakes you may find. Set after season 1 ‘Solitudes’ and written for ‘Cuddle Up Day’... enjoy!

Jack leaned against the cushions on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table. He sighed contentedly and called to Daniel and Teal'c in the kitchen as they stored the groceries.

"Can one of you guys bring me a beer?"

"Janet said no beer for another few days, sir," Sam replied with a smile as she carefully sat down at the other end of the couch.

"Yeah, well, the doc isn't here," he said with a touch of relief.

Following his near-death experience in Antarctica, it had taken three full weeks before he had finally been deemed well enough to leave the infirmary and, as this was his first night back in his own home, he'd invited the rest of the team over so they could all relax away from the confines of their job. A movie night was the best way to do that – along with some pizza and beer thrown in – and Jack craned his neck to see if there was any sign of his drink making an appearance. Seeing nothing, he settled back against the cushion and sighed.

Slowly, his gaze slid to his left and he silently observed his captain. Ever since he’d regained consciousness he felt Sam had been a little 'off' with him and he found it disconcerting. He couldn't remember much from the mission but he was pretty sure he hadn't done anything to put her on edge. He was just about to ask if she was alright when Teal'c entered the den with a bottle of beer in one hand and a can of diet soda in the other.

"Excellent!" Jack clasped his hands together, only to be left disappointed when his teammate handed him the soda and gave Carter the beer.

"I asked for be–"

"Doctor Frasier said you are to refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages."

"But –"

"Doctor Frasier also said I was to resist your quarrelsome discourse."

"I don't care… Huh?"

"Janet said you'd get argumentative," Daniel clarified as he too entered the room before claiming the armchair as his. Defeated, Jack took the can from Teal'c.

_"Fine,"_ he huffed as he watched the Jaffa put the movie in the recorder, but when a shiver suddenly ran down his spine, he cursed silently. Even though he'd been home for a few weeks, he still felt the bone-deep chill from the ice. Movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention as Sam drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them tight. If he looked close enough, even in the dim light of the den, he could see her shiver too. Without a second thought, he pulled the large throw from the back of the couch and draped it over himself. He then reached over, tapped the back of his fingers against Sam’s arm and gestured for her to move closer. The hesitancy in her expression surprised him, but before he had time to question it, she smiled shyly and shuffled over to his side, quickly tucking the throw around her legs and feet.

* * *

Jack wasn't sure when he fell asleep, or even how long he had been sleeping. All he knew was that the movie was no longer playing, the room was in darkness and there was a heavy, but strangely comforting, weight that rested on his stomach and chest. As his eyes adjusted to his surroundings, he also noticed that neither Teal'c nor Daniel were there. He vaguely tried to guess the time and assumed it was late, which meant they had probably returned to the base.

As Jack tried to get into a more comfortable position, he realized he couldn’t move and as he glanced down he could just make out a mass of blonde hair, splayed in every direction. He felt his breath catch and he froze. It was Carter, and suddenly he was bombarded by flashbacks of their time together in Antarctica and the conversations they'd had.

_"I should have gotten you out of here by now."_

_"You will."_

* * * 

_"Sam, I'm dying. Please."_

* * * 

_"I'm gonna try and bring back help, sir."_

* * * 

_"Sara…"_

_"I'm here, Jack. You can sleep now... It was an honor serving with you too."_

* * * 

_"It's my sidearm, I swear."_

* * * 

"Ah, crap."

He suddenly remembered everything.

His groan jarred Sam from her sleep and she jumped into a sitting position, where her surprise was quickly replaced by confusion. "Sir?"

"Yeah?"

He was met with silence and frowned – only to remember that Sam probably couldn't see it in the dark.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?"

"I... Nothing," she said, before she carefully untangled herself from his side.

Trying not to focus on his disappointment at Sam moving away, he pressed her last words. "It's obviously not ‘nothing’, Carter."

"With respect, sir, what makes you think –"

"After what we've been through these last few weeks," he cut in gently. "Trust me when I say I know something's bothering you."

He heard her sigh and he waited.

"I thought we were back in Antarctica," she whispered. "And I panicked. I thought I needed to save you – to bring you home."

Her words hit Jack hard and he closed his eyes. With everything that had happened, he had forgotten to thank Sam for what she had done. He’d heard from Daniel, and Janet, and even General Hammond, about how his second had willingly gone above and beyond the call of duty to save his sorry ass and Jack knew that he would never be able to fully thank her for her efforts. But he could try.

"I never did thank you," he said quietly. "For saving my life."

He felt Sam turn to face him. "I just did what –"

"Can you drop the military ‘it-was-my-job’ crap for a minute? Please?" He added, realizing his words had come out harsher than intended.

Slowly, he reached out and placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder. "I know many a soldier who wouldn't have shown that level of dedication or loyalty. Thank you, Sam. Really," he murmured as he squeezed her shoulder.

"It was an honor. Sir."

Jack leaned forwards to meet her gaze. This close to her, he could see her eyes shining brightly, but the insecurity and doubt that had clouded them over the past number of days had vanished. As the seconds ticked by, Sam's hands were intertwined in her lap, while Jack’s still rested on her shoulder. He felt, rather than saw, her shiver and he caught her nervous laugh. "I don't think I'll ever be warm again."

"You will," he answered confidently.

"It's been over three weeks – I'm still cold."

"You're obviously doing something wrong then. Have you followed your own advice?"

"Sir?"

Jack pursed his lips as he considered his options, but he already knew what he was going to do. His hand tightened on her shoulder as he steered her back towards him. "C'mere."

He lay down on the couch, with Sam now lying half on top of him.

"Uh, sir?"

"Sssh. We're combining body heat to make it through the rest of the night, remember?"

It took a few moments for his words to register and before he finally felt Sam relax against him. He heard the amusement in her voice when she answered his question.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, get some rest. That's an order."

He held his breath as Sam shifted her position slightly to get more comfortable, and when he felt her arms sneak around his waist he tried desperately hard not to think about how nice it felt – and not just because he had no broken ribs this time. Deciding he didn't want to go down that potential minefield just now, he reached around his teammate, pulling the throw over them and, satisfied it covered them both, he wrapped his arms around her and enveloped her in a hug.

It didn’t take long before his thoughts – dangerously – started to wander at how nice it felt to hold Sam in his arms but he had obviously been thinking just a little too much because when he moved, he felt a vibration across his chest. It took a moment for him to realize the movement had been caused by Sam giggling. His discomfort grew – then it dawned on him.

"Uh..."

"Don't worry, Colonel," she answered, her voice full of mirth. "I remember what you said."

He nodded slowly. "OK…"

He felt her smile against his chest and closed his eyes. He knew what was coming next.

"Your sidearm is safe with me," Sam quipped, before she dissolved into another fit of giggles.


End file.
